


Clueless

by sunshinetina



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 08:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2541746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinetina/pseuds/sunshinetina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christoph is clueless and Manuel pines. Or the other way around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clueless

**Author's Note:**

> Again, answer to a 'footy ficathon' prompt: http://thesilverwitch.livejournal.com/31896.html?thread=636056#t636056
> 
> And, since it's largely based on it, you should definitely see this gifset (if you haven't already): http://thomasfrickinmuller.tumblr.com/post/101030995393

 

He doesn’t know, does he? He doesn’t know that the baby-blue of those wide eyes makes his lungs desperate for a breath long forgotten. He doesn’t know that the lopsided smile to which those pink lips curve makes his heart not just skip a heartbeat or two, but to stop beating at all. And, above all, he doesn’t know how stressful his life is right now and just one _Manu, wie geht’s?_ on the phone turns his world upside down.

 

_Christoph is different_ , Manuel’s mind whispers, _Christoph is everything you need._ But Manuel roughly pushes those torturous thoughts away and puts on a serious face, cold eyes, thin lips. He is Manuel Neuer, he doesn’t need anything or anyone.

 

‘What happened with Kathrin?’ is what Thomas asks and Manuel just shrugs it off, ice glance focused somewhere in the distance, ‘Ah, right, you fell for someone else.’

 

Manuel wants to retort, wants to call Thomas _stupid_ as he has always done, but any strength is betraying him now, as he sighs and shakes his head. Thomas grins.

 

‘It’s ok, Manu. Just let them know before it’s too late,’ Thomas’s pat on Manuel’s back is ridiculously sympathetic, on the verge of pitiful, and Manuel lets out another loud sigh. _Before it’s too late?_ _It already is_ , Manuel thinks, remembering the glitter in Christoph’s eyes while he was telling him about his new girlfriend.

 

But no, Manuel Neuer is not such a person. He is strong, he is self-sufficient, and he doesn’t need anyone. Much more, he makes _other_ people beg for him, not the other way around. So, if someone needs _him_ , it’s none of his business. He doesn’t need _them_.

 

So, the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach is knocking on the door and it comes as no surprise when Manuel looks at his phone and it’s _Christoph_ flashing on his display. Manuel chooses to disregard it once, twice, and almost thrice, but the curiosity (and nothing else, of course) overwhelms him.

 

‘Heeeey! You alright?’ _yes, of course, I am, why shouldn’t I be?_ Manuel thinks but there is a knot in his throat that doesn’t let him speak, ‘Manu?’

 

All his walls break down with the four letters softly spoken at the other end of the line, and Manuel bites his lips to blood, shivering upon the voice in his ear.

 

‘Ah, you are nervous!’ Christoph laughs and Manuel sighs, brushing his fingers through his hair, ‘I am nervous too. It’s always hard to play against Bayern Munich.’

 

‘Is it?’ are the first words coming out of Manuel’s mouth and they are considerably lacking any breath.

 

‘Mhm. But now it’s even awkward because… You know… We talk so often and we are friends and-…’

 

‘Are we, Christoph?’

 

The answer is a quiet gulp and Manuel swears he can clearly envision the puzzled look on the boy’s face.

 

‘Y-yes? We _are_ , Manu,’ he pauses, ‘At least, _I_ consider you a friend. Although you don’t like to share with me but that’s ok, I understand that I can be a pain in the ass sometimes.’

 

Manuel laughs nervously and shakes his head, ‘You mean Kathrin?’

 

‘None of my business.’

 

‘Won’t you ask why we broke up?’

 

Christoph hesitates for a second and chuckles, ‘She couldn’t bear you anymore, I get her.’

 

Manuel smirks and looks at his toes, ‘That’s also true.’

 

They stay silent for some seconds and all Manuel can hear now is Christoph’s breathing. He closes his eyes and lets his mind picture the boy looking at him through his mile-long lashes, smiling shyly and giggling when Manuel tells him that he-…

 

‘I guess, I fell for someone else,’ Manuel’s voice is oddly confident and definite when he quotes Thomas’s words, ‘That’s why I broke up with Kathrin.’

 

‘I should be even angrier, then. You didn’t tell me about Kathrin – alright. But I didn’t even know about that _someone else_!’

 

‘Why is it so important to you, Christoph? No one knows anyway and I don’t plan on telling…’

 

‘Fine,’ Manuel knows pretty well Christoph is pouting right now and he feels his heart aching, ‘Fine, don’t tell me. They are pretty lucky, though.’

 

‘Who?’

 

‘The _someone else_. Whoever they are, they are pretty lucky,’ Christoph is almost whispering, ‘For having Manuel Neuer fall for them.’

 

‘I am nervous too, you know,’ Manuel decides to change the topic… without really changing it, to be honest. How is it possible for Christoph to be so innocently clueless? ‘It will be our first game against each other since Brazil.’

 

The boy chuckles, ‘What would happen if I score against you?’

 

‘You’d be in trouble, _blue eyes_ ,’ Christoph chuckles again and Manuel is aware of the stupid grin on his own red face, ‘Bayern would win.’

 

‘Nah. I call it a tie. Maybe 0-0, we are strong. But with Manuel Neuer as a goalkeeper, it’s a nightmare to score,’ they both laugh and Manuel bites his lips again, becoming dead serious.

 

‘Why me, Christoph?’

 

‘Hm?’

 

‘Of all the people in Brazil – much younger than me, more like yourself – you chose to become friends with _me_. Why?’

 

Christoph sighs, ‘I can ask you the same question. Everyone wants to be friends with Manuel Neuer. With Christoph Kramer, though…’

 

‘I want to be back in Brazil.’

 

‘To win the Cup again?’

 

‘To be with _you_ again,’ they both stay silent, ‘You are the only person who has _ever_ looked at me that way, Christoph. And I-… I like it.’

 

‘Manu-…’

 

‘No, let me finish this,’ Manuel gathers all the courage in himself, ‘I broke up with Kathrin because after Brazil I felt like something was missing. Initially I didn’t know it but then I realised that the best times during the day are when we two are talking on the phone with hours. But that’s not enough, Christoph, something is still missing. And Thomas just helped me understand it. I think-… I _know_ that I hopelessly fell for y-…’

 

‘I’ve got to go, Manu. Max said it was urgent,’ Christoph’s rushed in voice hits Manuel harder than he thought, ‘But we’ll see each other tomorrow at the game, right?’

 

Christoph hangs up before Manuel has the opportunity to even answer. He doesn’t _want_ to know. He doesn’t want to know that Manuel is falling deep and is drowning and is helpless and is lost. How can Christoph be so clueless and not know everything that’s burning Manuel’s insides right now? How can he be so… _cruel_?

 

Right. He is Manuel Neuer, he can do that. He closes his eyes, takes several deep breaths and regains his composure. Tomorrow he’ll walk out on that damn pitch in Gladbach and would be a stoic wall.

 

-

 

Everyone in the tunnel is laughing and Manuel just laughs along, nervously fidgeting with his gloves. (He may or may have not put them on several times already.) He feels Christoph standing way too close to him – so close, his nostrils catch the tickling boy’s scent – and he gulps, trying to find something else to focus his eyes on.

 

Christoph, on the other hand, has his eyes glued on Manuel’s back because – damn it, he shouldn’t have been such a coward yesterday and he shouldn’t have ended this call so abruptly. He wants – he _dreads_ – Manuel to look at him, to smile, to tell him what he wanted to tell him last night. Christoph’s heartbeat hits his ears as he continues staring at Manuel with all his hope, not caring that his infatuation with the goalkeeper was too obvious right now. _Just look at me, Manu_ , Christoph dares to think, _Just let me tell you everything_.

 

Thomas nudges Manuel and the goalkeeper looks up, slowly turning around. He meets Christoph’s eyes – _those damn blue eyes and those flattering eyelashes_ – and his gaze lingers on them a bit longer than it should. It takes all his effort to direct his look at the mischievously smirking Thomas.

 

‘Just. Tell. Him,’ and Manuel realises that Thomas once again reads him like an open book, when he not-so-gently pushes him towards Christoph.

 

‘Good luck,’ Manuel nervously looks at his toes, literally centimeters away from Christoph. He hears the boy sucking a quivering breath, following him with his eyes. Manuel looks up and so does Christoph, melting in a nervous smile, ‘You knew what I was about to say yesterday, don’t you?’

 

Christoph grins softly and nods, ‘You really think I am that clueless, hm?’

 

Manuel smirks and steps back when other people try to pass between the two of them.

 

‘Well, maybe I got angry because I wanted to confess first,’ Christoph raises his eyebrows, chuckling. Thomas is grinning and Manuel is blushing, ‘But not everyone has a Thomas Müller on their side.’

 

Thomas giggles and Manuel bites his lips, ‘You still won’t score against me, _blue eyes_.’

 

Christoph smiles softly, casually licking his lips, while Manuel already flushes his cheeks in dark pink shades, ‘Oh, but I already _did_ , Neuer.’

 

And when Manuel lifts his eyes up and they melt into Christoph’s baby-blue, there is not a single sign from _the_ confident Manuel Neuer. He feels light, flying, and so differently and pleasurably strong, able to move mountains and to walk through storms. He smirks and Christoph responds with a chuckle. He _still_ doesn’t know, though. The oh, so many things that Manuel has planned for him. But he will. Soon. In fact, in their own game, right after this one. (And no, it won’t end _0-0_.)


End file.
